Floor vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

A canister vacuum cleaner includes a housing, a suction hose connectable to the housing, a vacuum attachment, and a suction wand. The suction wand includes at least an upper wand section and a lower wand section that can be separated from one another, an upper end of the upper wand section being couplable with the suction hose, a lower end of a lower wand section being couplable with the vacuum attachment, at least one of the lower wand section and the vacuum attachment being configured to be held to the housing in a parked position by a first connector, a second connector being disposed on the upper wand section and attachable to the lower wand section.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2008/008777, filed on Oct. 16, 2008, and which claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. DE 10 2007 052 028.1, filed on Oct. 30, 2007. The International Patent Application was published in German on May 7, 2009 as WO 2009/056234 A1.

FIELD

The present invention relates to a canister vacuum cleaner including a housing, a suction hose connectable thereto, an optional handle, a suction wand, and a vacuum attachment; the suction wand including at least two sections that can be separated from one another; the upper end of an upper wand section being able to be coupled to the suction hose or the handle, and the lower end of a lower wand section being able to be coupled to the vacuum attachment; and the lower wand section or the vacuum attachment being able to be held to the housing in a parked position by first holding means.

BACKGROUND

It is described in DE 40 36 314 C2, for example, to provide canister vacuum cleaners with holding means on the housing and on the suction wand or the base unit, which holding means interact to hold the wand to the housing in a parked position after completion of the vacuuming operation. In this position, the upper end of the suction wand and the suction hose connected thereto project far beyond the housing of the vacuum cleaner. This increases the amount of space required for storing the vacuum cleaner, making it impossible to store it in a cabinet or other confined space.

In German Patent DE 40 36 314 C2, the suction wand is a single piece. However, there are also known suction wands which are formed of two or more separable sections coupled together by a push-fit connection.

From German Patent Application DE 100 39 186 A1 it is described to use a suction wand commonly known as telescoping wand, in which individual wand members are capable of sliding within one another. This makes it possible to reduce the overall height needed for storage in the parked position. In comparison with suction wands having a push fit connection, telescoping wands have the disadvantages of being more expensive to manufacture and of having poorer sealing efficiency between the individual wand sections, which results in losses in suction power.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a canister vacuum cleaner including a housing; a suction hose connectable to the housing; a vacuum attachment; and a suction wand including at least an upper wand section and a lower wand section that can be separated from one another. An upper end of the upper wand section is couplable with the suction hose and a lower end of a lower wand section is couplable with the vacuum attachment. At least one of the lower wand section and the vacuum attachment are configured to be held to the housing in a parked position by a first connector. A second connector is disposed on the upper wand section and attachable to the lower wand section in such a way that the upper and lower wand sections, when separated, can be held to the housing in the parked position in a side-by-side relationship along respective lengths thereof. The second connector includes a sleeve surrounding the upper end of the upper wand section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in the drawings in a purely schematic way and will be described in more detail below. In the drawing,

FIG. 1 shows a vacuum cleaner configured in accordance with the present invention in the parked position and with the wand sections coupled together;

FIG. 2 shows a vacuum cleaner configured in accordance with the present invention in the parked position and with the wand sections separated;

FIGS. 3 a through d illustrate a wand holder in various views;

FIGS. 4 a, b show the wand holder along with the wand sections and a handle in two views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an embodiment, the invention provides a vacuum cleaner in which the suction wand can be stored in a parked position in a simple and space-saving manner using inexpensive means.

Advantages of the invention result from reducing the overall height in the parked position.

FIG. 1 shows a canister vacuum cleaner 1 having a housing 2. Housing cover 3 is provided with an inlet connector 4, to which a flexible suction hose 5 is connected in a known manner. Suction hose 5 is in turn coupled to a curved tubular handle 6, which is connected to a suction wand 7. Suction wand 7 includes two sections 8 and 9 which are coupled together and which can be separated from one another, as shown in FIG. 2. Handle 6 and upper wand section 9 are also separable from each other. In order to prevent handle 6 from becoming detached from upper wand section 9, and to prevent upper wand section 9 from becoming detached from lower wand section 8, there are provided locking devices (not shown in greater detail) which can be released via a first release button 10 at upper end 91 of upper wand section 9 and a second release button 11 at upper end 81 of lower wand section 8, respectively. Connected to lower end 82 of lower wand section 8 is a vacuum attachment in the form of a floor nozzle 12. In both Figures, lower wand section 8 and vacuum attachment 12 are held to vacuum cleaner housing 2 in a parked position by first connector 14 not shown in greater detail. To this end, canister vacuum cleaner 1 is placed in an upright, standing position. Alternative or additional holding means may allow for a parked position on a housing 2 that is in an operational state; i.e., standing on wheels 13.

In order to allow the canister vacuum cleaner to be stored in the position shown in FIG. 2, where its overall height is significantly reduced as compared to the position shown in FIG. 1 (with wand sections 8 and 9 coupled together), upper end 91 of upper wand section 9 has mounted thereto a further connector 100 which, after separating the two wand sections 8 and 9, can be attached to upper end 81 of lower wand section 8, so that the two wand sections 8 and 9 can be held to housing 2 in the parked position in side-by-side relationship in a space-saving manner.

Further connector 100 is shown in detail in the various views of FIGS. 3 a through d. The further holding means is a single component which is preferably made from plastic and includes a sleeve 101 and a holding cap 102, which are connected by two webs 103 and 104. Sleeve 101 is attached to upper end 91 of upper wand section 9 (see also FIG. 1 and FIGS. 4 a and b in this regard). The attachment is accomplished by a first cutout 105 surrounding first release button 10 in a form-locking manner. In order to remove the entire connector 100 from upper wand section 9, sleeve 101 must be forced downward along wand section 9. As a result, the two inwardly directed retaining noses 106 and 107 are urged outwardly, thereby releasing release button 10. Holding cap 102 has a closed top 108 and a peripheral rim 109 to be slipped over the upper end of the lower wand section (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 b). In the process, a further cutout 110 surrounds at least a portion of second release button 11, providing a form fit which retains upper wand section 9 in a defined position.

The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described hereinabove. For example, the further connector may be disposed on the handle. Alternatively, the handle may be omitted or integrally formed in one piece with the upper wand section. The suction wand may be formed of three or more sections, with or without a handle.

While the invention has been described with reference to the particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Further, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein; reference should be had to the appended claims. 

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A canister vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing; a suction hose connectable to the housing; a vacuum attachment; and a suction wand including at least an upper wand section and a lower wand section that can be separated from one another, an upper end of the upper wand section being couplable with the suction hose, a lower end of a lower wand section being couplable with the vacuum attachment, at least one of the lower wand section and the vacuum attachment being configured to be held to the housing in a parked position by a first connector, a second connector being disposed on the upper wand section and attachable to the lower wand section in such a way that the upper and lower wand sections, when separated, can be held to the housing in the parked position in a side-by-side relationship along respective lengths thereof, the second connector including a sleeve surrounding the upper end of the upper wand section.
 9. The canister vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 8, wherein a first release button is disposed at the upper end of the upper wand section and protrudes through a first cutout in the sleeve.
 10. The canister vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 8, wherein the second connector includes a holding cap configured to be disposed on the upper end of the lower wand section.
 11. The canister vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 10, wherein the holding cap has a closed configuration.
 12. The canister vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11, wherein a further cutout is provided for a second release button disposed at the upper end of the lower wand section.
 13. The canister vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 8, wherein the second connector is a single component.
 14. The canister vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 13, wherein the single component includes plastic.
 15. The canister vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 8, further comprising a handle, wherein the upper end of the upper wand section is couplable with the handle.
 16. A canister vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing; a suction hose connectable to the housing; a handle; a vacuum attachment; and a suction wand including at least an upper wand section and a lower wand section that can be separated from one another, an upper end of the upper wand section being couplable with the handle, a lower end of a lower wand section being couplable with the vacuum attachment, at least one of the lower wand section and the vacuum attachment being configured to be held to the housing in a parked position by a first connector, a second connector being disposed on the handle and attachable to the lower wand section in such a way that the upper and lower wand sections, when separated, can be held to the housing in the parked position in a side-by-side relationship along respective lengths thereof, the second connector including a sleeve surrounding the upper end of the upper wand section. 